The Soca River Valley – Kobarid, Slovenia

Are you guys ready for another heaven on earth destination? Nestled right in the middle of the Julian Alps, Kobarid had us speechless. Even if it’s a little out of the way from major destinations, it is worth the detour. We were already going to be in Slovenia so we figured we would make the trek over to Kobarid anyways. We might have only come to eat at Hisa Franko but we were pleasantly surprised at how much there was to do and see, especially for people who love the outdoors. A lot of cyclists, mountain bikers, hikers, and skiers come to this area to take in the view of the Alps and experience the valley. If you get the chance to visit, you won’t be disappointed and we know you’ll fall just as in love as we did. We’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

getting there

The best way to travel most of Slovenia is by car, especially Kobarid. We only stayed one night in Kobarid and basically had about 36 hours to explore so a car would have made our lives a lot easier. It is possible to get here by bus from Ljubljana like we did, but it is long and a little complicated. We also learned that this bus route turns into a school bus and drops kids from the rural villages back off at home. This made our trip about 40 minutes longer so the timetable isn’t always the most accurate but the view along the way is worth the time spent and noisy kiddos! You can check out the bus schedules here. If you had to fly in, the best way would be from Ljubljana or from Italy and then renting a car and heading over. There isn’t a bus or tram in the town of Kobarid, but there is a hop on-hop off mini bus that runs from June 24th to August 31st.

Trav Tav’s Tip:

The Tourist Center in Kobarid is a great resource for all kinds of information. They were one of the only places that offered wifi in Kobarid and the girl working the desk was so helpful. She called our host since we got in late and couldn’t find the address and let us leave our bags in the office while we went and hiked the next day. They also have lots of info of activities around the Soca River Valley, like hang gliding and skydiving adventures.

where to stay

There aren’t a ton of options for hotels in Kobarid, so in our opinion, Airbnb’s are your best option. We found one that was about a mile from Hisa Franko and had optional transportation to dinner for a small fee since we didn’t have a car. The Honey Bee Studio was a perfect spot with a kitchenette and a nice view of the charming town of Kobarid. There is also a nice little market across the street to grab some essentials and a cute little cafe/bar for your espresso and beer needs.

things to do

We think that Kobarid can thank the Netflix show Chef’s Table for being put on people’s radars, but there is so much more to see here than just the restaurant it became well known for. Most of the activities are outdoor and can be appreciated with more days than what we had in Kobarid. We were however able to hit up one really awesome hike while were were here and it came as one of the most recommended day hikes in the area. During dry or wet weather (since we got the latter) it is something that can’t be missed!

Slap Kozjak

Slap Kozjak is a really casual, easy hike up to a beautiful hidden waterfall. The walk up to Slap Kozjak won’t take you very long, but you will want some time to enjoy the views so plan accordingly! It only took us about 2 hours from start to finish and we got really nice weather until our very last 20 minutes, where it decided to pour down rain on us. Since we’re accustomed to bad weather and we never let it get us down, we finished off the hike with a run to the nearest restaurant and drink stop!

where to eat

◊ Pizzeria Fedrig – This is where we found some refuge from the rain when we were done hiking to the waterfall and it was the PERFECT rainy day meal. Pizza and some craft beers, how could it get any better, amiright? We split a very large pizza and each got an Irish beer and tried to wait out the rain – but still had to run to our bus in the pouring storm. Ah, memories.

◊ Hisa Franko – We have an entire blog post of this exquisite restaurant, but we’ll mention it again because it shouldn’t be missed while traveling through Slovenia. It was one of the most special dinners we’ve gotten to have and some of the most unique dishes we’ve gotten to eat. You can check out our full post of Hisa Franko here.

Even though we definitely could have spent more days in Kobarid, we are so grateful we got to spend any days at all. This is the perfect area to relax and unwind and take in the absolutely stunning views of the valley. Make sure you add this to your bucket list and let us know your other Slovenia favorites below!

About Us

we are the traveling taveners

Hey friends, we are Kenny and Sadie, a couple of 20 something's who are sippin' and 'splorin our way around the globe in our backpacks. Always in search of new craft brews and the world's best cappuccino.